


North and South and East and West

by riverlight



Series: Things to Do in Juniper at One O'Clock in the Morning [3]
Category: due South
Genre: Canada, M/M, Moon, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-28
Updated: 2011-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-26 15:12:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/284732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverlight/pseuds/riverlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've had years of winters, falling asleep sharing cold kisses together in the dark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	North and South and East and West

When the little wooden clock on the mantelpiece murmurs into the silence that it's _eleven, eleven, eleven,_ Fraser shuts his book and stands, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension there, and bundles up to go check on the dogs one last time. Ray puts another log in the woodstove and banks the fire, then lights the lantern and turns off the lights. It's their nightly ritual: by the time Fraser comes inside again, chilled through, Ray will have undressed and gotten into bed, and Fraser will strip off his clothes in the lanternlight, shivering, and crawl under the quilts into the spot Ray's warmed up. They've done it so many times by now they don't need words; they've had years of winters, falling asleep sharing cold kisses together in the dark.

Fraser comes back quicker than usual, though, and stamps his boots on the porch before coming in. "Get your jacket, Ray, it's thirty below," he says, and jerks his head towards the door, so Ray puts his jeans back on and sticks his feet into his boots and bundles up, jacket and hat and gloves, and goes to join Fraser outside.

Fraser's standing there shivering in their front yard, arms wrapped around himself, waiting for Ray, so Ray tucks a hand into the crook of his elbow and looks up at the sky. "Christ, it's cold," he says after a moment, but quietly, because it's that kind of night. His breath makes white plumes in the air. "What's up, Frase?"

Fraser doesn't say anything, just puts one gloved hand over Ray's and smiles and makes a little "look" motion with his head, so Ray looks. The sky's deep and black, awash with stars, a million tiny pinpricks flickering in the darkness; in the starlight, the snow stretches away all around them, gleaming white. It's the moon, though, that Fraser means; it's distant and tiny in the sky, but full, and there's a huge ring of light surrounding it, like the little disc that means clear weather tomorrow, but bigger, much bigger.

"Huh," Ray says, after a moment, "I never saw that before," and out of the corner of his eye he can see Fraser smile. They stand there together under the immense silent sky, stamping their feet to keep warm, breath mingling in the air, and when Ray turns to look at Fraser, Fraser's watching him, his eyes bright with starlight.

He pulls off his gloves and cups Ray's face in his hands. They stand there like that a moment, not moving, Fraser's fingers warm on his cold cheeks, and then Fraser leans down to kiss him. All around them, the night is cold, and beautiful, and full of stars. Ray reaches up to touch Fraser's face, kissing him back, and Fraser sighs a little against his lips, and smiles. Ray tucks Fraser's bare hands into his pockets, and they go into the house, together, moving slowly in the dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed and written while feverish, but here's to hoping fic helps make things a little better. :) For mrsronweasley, who has had a terrible weekend, with love and hugs.
> 
> In my head, this is set in [Juniper](http://archiveofourown.org/series/12425), though it stands perfectly fine on its own.
> 
> And, if you're curious, [this](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/406693910_80e971defe.jpg) is the moon I meant.


End file.
